West Wales laning: Nant y Moch

[JakeM]

I'm usually out cycling at the weekend but I've pulled my back so got the urge to do some green lanes instead.
The Nant y Moch lanes are just inland from Aberystwyth, and are often visited when people do Strata Florida or the Machynlleth lanes (neither of which I've done yet).

It was cold, grey, and hail storms, but warm enough in the Cruiser. Hills were white in the distance.

The 'gatekeeper ' doing some work-

Walking back up to the car after checking out a washed out section-

Nant y Moch reservoir-

There wasn't much water on the lanes today. Axle deep at most-

The Colorado did well. I was a bit worried about the cheap tyres. They gripped fine, but thin side walls and rocky lanes, a worrying mix.

It was a good half day, great fun. The only other people we saw were several bunches of motorbikes and six land rovers.

Cheers
Jake

 

[Shayne]

Great pics

I would like to have joined you for this though i couldn't have anyway on this occasion but please let me know if your heading that way again

 

[clivehorridge]

Good to see cruisers getting out and about

I'm hoping I can get out tomorrow and find some snow on higher ground, if we're lucky

 

[AndyCook]

Nice one, I had been out on the Mountain bike last couple days, blue skies and frosty up here,
I heard the axle twister had been filled in on those lanes, the washout on hill was pretty bad when I last drove it, camped by quarry north of lake once,

 

[JakeM]

The axle twister has been filled in. And the washed out hill isn't nearly as bad as it used to.
However, once you're at the bottom of that hill and you can go left or right, the left track with the real rocky section has been washed out at this point. You have to straddle it. I bottled it, being on my own, no one to pull me out should I slip in.

Clive I'm sure you'll find so snow, it's cold now!

Shayne I'm hoping to do Strata Florida sometime. Would be wise not to do it alone. Which side are you on?

 

[Shayne]

I'm in Barry - and there's no snorkel on my truck , i believe the strata can be very wet in winter .

 

[JakeM]

Those YouTube vids do make it look a little intimidating! Should be fine with a high pressure forecast.

Happy to do Nant y Moch any time, it's only a few miles from me. And friendly whatever the weather.

 

[Shayne]

No mot and a dodgy wrist at mo so not the time to make a plan but i will keep it in mind and give you a shout sooner rather than later i hope thanks .

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Strata is not often in spate but there are other ways to get into trouble and you could be a long time waiting for help which might be a worry for the gate opener if solo. Most trips go without a hitch but every now and again people do get into a lot of trouble on Strata.

 

[JakeM]

Yep, upmost respect for the landscape, topography, and climate of the area. Hence why I haven't done it yet, won't attempt solo.

Most worried about a mechanical in the middle of nowhere. It's a long walk back..

 

[Shayne]

A challenge doesn't worry me Jake just saying i've never been there either and when i see vids of people wading at windscreen depth i do wonder if it would be worth the trip in winter when its been raining non stop for a week here and right at this very moment its the heaviest rainfall i have seen in a long time .

 

[diggerdave]

Great to see some 90 laning pictures.

I'm not shy about laning solo, but you pick your lanes and I'd agree that Strata is one best done with at least one other vehicle. Someone in a Disco was killed on Strata a few years back although I've never quite got the full story. Thankfully that sort of thing is pretty rare/a;most unheard of.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

It wasn't even a solo vehicle when the young girl died, it was a group of 3. They were not the first to be caught out by the force of the water either just the most tragic outcome. I have driven it solo a few times and enjoyed a solitary hour or two parked up by the water fall on a sunny day, but I know it well enough to avoid obvious problems and would be well equipped anyway.

 

[flint]

Was that the crash near Llyn Brianne ?

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Yes, that was on Strata.

Unrelated to that but we know from experience on Strata that air ambulances don't operate at night, not in that area anyway, the 'local' ambulance switch board only does normal office hours so your best bet is Aberystwyth police station out of hours and mountain rescue are who would come out to you on Strata itself but it takes a while to mobilise them.

 

[Shayne]

Louise Ferreira 17 .

Conflicting reports from what i've read but looking at the truck i would guess it lost control at speed and landed in the river ?

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

tried to cross the river, got turned over and washed down stream. The current can be very fierce at that crossing but any other time you wouldn't believe it could get so bad.

 

[flint]

I think that they were going solo at the time and he had to walk quite a way to get help, not wise and he paid for it with a jail sentence. Even the normally small stream on the Claerwen (before the farmer decided he didn't like 4x4s) when in spate had to be taken with care. People often underestimate the power in a swollen river. About 20 years ago I had to pull someone in a car with a load of children who'd tried to cross a flooded bridge on the Teifi, he'd stalled and the waters were rising quite quickly. Luckily I had a long rope with me. It was up to about knee height and it was as much as I could do to keep my footing to wade out to him. Got him out ok though.

 

[Chris]

It was our little 'adventure' on SF that prompted me to get a sat phone. We couldn't get service on any of our mobiles across three or four providers at the time. And we were being careful when it all went pear shaped.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

What a stupid time and place to trip over and break a leg but lucky for Keith or good judgement lol he was with the right group of people with the right gear for the job.